Incline miniature railway track



March 31, 1953 c. B. r-:scH 2,633,301

INCLINE MINIATURE RAILWAY TRACK Filed April 20, 1950 CALETON B. EscH, BYM I HTTORNEY.

Patented Mar. 31, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INCLINE MINIATURE RAILWAY TRACK Carleton B. Esch, Indianapolis, Ind.

Application April '20, 1950, Serial No. 157,120

(Cl. 23S- 10) 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to a track for electric operation of miniature railway units and is particularly designed for use in inclined conditions where the units must climb hills and inclines, and therefore must obtain traction above that which may be secured by metallic wheels on a metallic surface of ia track. The units operating on such tracks are normally of quite light weight in View of the relatively low power developed at the rail contact. These tracks are normally made in lengths interengaging one with another, and in each length, there are the two rail tracks and a third rail spaced between the two outer track rails or wheel rails. The electric circuit must be completed between at least one of the track rails and the third rail.

My invention contemplates slotting one of the outer wheel rails and carrying therewithin a length of friction material so that the wheels may engage this material and secure traction in climbing the grade of the incline.

Therefore a primary purpose of the invention is to provide a frictional engagement between at least one set of wheels on one side of the train unit while at the same time there is maintained an electrical circuit through the unit and the other wheel rail and a third rail.

A further important object of the invention is to provide a friction surface rail which will not depart from external contour from the normally used rail, and which may be made in the same manner with a slight alteration of slotting the top of the rail to carry a resilient friction material therewithin.

These and many other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those versed in the art in the following description of one particular form of the invention, with reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a structure embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on an enlarged scale on the line 2-2 in Fig. l; and

Fig. 3 a detail in side elevation of the friction rail.

Referring to the drawing, there are the two outer wheel engaging rails generally designated by the numbers Ill and I I. There is the central intervening third rail I2. All three of these rails I0, II, and I2 are carried in paralled fixed alignment on a plurality of cross ties I3, herein shown as being made out of metal, and as having upturned opposing clips Ii and 35 at each rail to bend over on the top sides of the outwardly extending feet portions of the rails.

Each of these rails I0, II, and I2 are formed by rolling metal into a circular head portion I5 from which the metal is carried downwardly in parallel alignment and in contact one with the other the legs I6 and I'I. The leg I6 is outwardly turned to have a foot I8 extending substantially diagonally and outwardly from its lower portion, and to have an endportion I9 bent around thereover for the purpose of securing rigidity. In like manner, the leg I'I terminates in a lower diagonally outturned foot member 20 which has an end portion ZI bent around to lap over on top of the foot 20. Each of the rails have this identical cross-sectional configuration as indicated in Fig. 2.

The two rails I0 and II are in direct electrical contact with the cross ties I3. However the third rail i2 is insulated from the ties I3 by reason of the intervening strip of insulating material 22 which extends across under both feet I8 and 20 and around on the top sides thereof under the retaining clips I4 and 35. This much of the construction so far described is not new, being commonly employed in the art.

`However one of the wheel rails I0 or II, herein shown as the rail IIJ is modified by having a longitudinal slot 25 carried :along the rail through its top portion, to terminate at each of the ties I3. 'In other words the slot 25 extends only along the -length of the rail II) which intervenes between adjacent ties I3, so that the normal head section I5 is maintained across each of the ties in question. The length of these head portions across the ties designated by the numeral I5a are such that fore and aft wheels of the driving unit of the railway train will straddle that portion I5a so that both Wheels will not be on this section at the same time, whereby it is insured that one of those driving wheels will be over the slotted portion 25 at al1 times.

A rubber molding or strip 26 is preformed to have a contour around its lower side at least to fit compressively within the hollow space of the rail head I5. This molding 26 is further formed to have an upper surface 21 of a greater radius of curvature than the inner portion within the head I5 so that this portion 21 will complete the circular cross-sectional contour of the head I5 through the slot 25, as indicated in Fig. 2. The transverse width of the slot 25 may be varied as desired, the important thing being that there be at least at the uppermost portion of the normal contour of the head I5, an exposed length of the molding 26. Preferably the molding 26 is inserted with the head I5 before the two leg members I6 and I1 are compressed one against the other, and the upper portion 21 is forced through the slot to extend into the normal position as indicated in Fig. 2. This molding 26 by its upper portion 21 forms the friction surface over which the drive wheels of the railway unit may ride and thus secure traction as the unit is climbing the grade.

By reason of the limited length of the Slot 25, to provide the upper head portions 15a, the rail I0 is not permitted to fly apart at the upper portion, but is tied together through those portions 15a in each instance over the ties I3 so that the rail I0 retains its normal and desired shape.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in the one particular form as illustrated, it is obvious that structural change may be employed without departing from the spirit of the invention, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to that precise form beyond the limitationswhich may be imposed by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a miniature, electric train railway track having two, wheel supporting rails, a third rail, and ties spaced along the rails, the combination wherein one of said wheel supporting rails comprises a unitary formed, metal rail having a pair of separate legs integrally united and merged by their upper ends through a generally circular cross-sectional hollow head, and an outturned foot at the lower end of each leg; said head being slotted at intervals from its top side to leave full head section leg ties between slots; a resilient, wheel friction strip extending the length o each slot, carried in the hollow of said head, curved by its under side to straddle said legs and t around the Wall of the head, said strip having an upper cylindrical surface eX- posed through said slot in each instance and overlying the longitudinal marginal edges of said slot, said upper surface constituting in effect a full continuation of the surface of the head transversely across the slot; cross-ties spaced along said rails; a pair of opposing clips; said leg feet being engaged under said clips; said clips being spaced apart on each cross-tie a distance to hold said legs adjacent one another in comi pressive engagement of said resilient strip in said head.

2. In a miniature, electric train railway track having two, Wheel supporting rails, a third rail, and ties spaced along the rails, the combination wherein one of said Wheel supporting rails comprises a unitary formed, metal rail having a pair of separate legs integrally united and merged by their upper ends through a generally circular cross-sectional hollow head, and an outturned foot at the lower end of each leg; said head being slotted at intervals from its top side to leave full head section leg ties between slots; a resilient, wheel friction strip extending the length of each slot, carried in the hollow of said head, curved by its under side to straddle said legs and iit around the wall of the head, said strip having an upper cylindrical surface exposed through said slot in each instance and overlying the longitudinal marginal edges of said slet, said upper surface constituting in effect a full continuation of the surface of the head transversely across the slot; cross-ties spaced along said rails; a pair of opposing clips; said leg feet being engaged under said clips; said clips being spaced apart on each cross-tie a distance to hold said legs adjacent one another in compressive engagement of said resilient strip in said head; said leg ties in each instance being over said cross-ties and having a length less than the distance of fore and aft drive wheels of the train.

CARLETON B. ESCI-I.

REFERENCES CITED The followngreferences are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 209,739 Welch Nov. 5, 1878 1,865,277 Rosenthal June 28, 1932 2,462,073 Daughton Feb. 22, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 772,513 France Aug. 18, 1934 406,456 Germany Nov. 25, 1924 

